Saturday letters: Turkey's vote, school lunches

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech Thursday as he receives the children attending the 39th TRT International Children's Festival at the presidential Complex in Ankara. (Photo by Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images)

Photo: ADEM ALTAN, Staff

Allies support each other

Regarding "Turkey's travails" (Page A16, Wednesday), Turkey respects the free will of the Americans and the results of the 2016 presidential election; the Turkish nation expects the same from the U.S. That's what allies are for.

Referendums are not new to Turkish democracy. The April 16th Constitutional Amendments Referendum was the seventh where nearly 50 million people voted, including Turks living abroad, with a 85.32 percent turnout, the highest in Europe. The result was 51.41 percent in favor of the amendments.

Questioning the decision of the Turkish nation is disrespectful and discriminatory. Results with a close margin do not give the right to the third parties to belittle 25 million "yes" voters and applaud 23 million "no" voters. We do not recall the Brexit vote with a 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent result and the final say of the Brits being disrespected.

The editorial's call for intervention through sanctions with a hope to design Turkey's domestic politics is also scandalous. Against unfair criticism, Turkey remains a key NATO ally for nearly 65 years.

Instead of misconstruing the outcome of an ally's democratic referendum, focus more on ways to strengthen Trans-Atlantic ties, mitigate the worrying climate of xenophobia in Europe and security threats unfolding around the world.

Ferhat Alkan, Consul General of the Republic of Turkey, Houston

Jeopardizing the future

Regarding "Lunch stigma" (Page A13, Monday), what do children learn when they watch a school lunch being scraped into the garbage because they can't pay for it? Two things: the school doesn't care if they're hungry, and it's OK to waste food. Are those the lessons we want them to learn?

Regardless of their parents' fitness, children need regular meals. New Mexico is experimenting with a program that will provide lunch for all students. Maybe Texas can learn from our neighbor state.

The middle school in my neighborhood has ads encouraging students to order school supplies. Why doesn't the district, with its size and purchasing power, just purchase the school supplies - paper, pens and pencils and other school necessities - for the students? School is their workplace.

Penny-pinching in education, at all levels, is shortchanging our children's and our state's future.